Nurse, 19, takes Scarborough schol

Scarborough Secondary Alumni scholarship winner Kafala Nurse.

SCHOLARSHIP winner Kafala Nurse, 19, has his eyes set on owning a company specialising in disaster preparedness and mitigation. Nurse was named on Friday as the 2018 Scarborough Secondary School Alumni scholarship recipient, receiving $20,000 towards his studies. The former student of the school is attending the University of the West Indies (UWI), where he is doing a bachelor’s degree in management studies.

Speaking with Newsday Tobago by phone on Saturday, Nurse, who comes from the village of Lambeau and was selected over two other finalists, said he feels privileged.

“To be quite honest, it feels like an honour to be given such an opportunity and to be given such a prestigious reward…It feels like a gift, having given so much to the school, so after seven years, I have been gratefully rewarded for my hard work and dedication,” he said.

Nurse's aim is to do a master's degree afterhis first one, which will take three years.

“I am looking forward to becoming an entrepreneur and establishing my position in my niche market of choice. Currently, I am looking into the market of disaster preparedness and mitigation to use the management skills that I would acquire throughout my tenure at university.

“Last year, I represented TT in a disaster mitigation conference in the Bahamas and that is where I really found my passion. Through that, I became aware of how severe natural disasters are getting and I believe that I have a role to play, and if I could effectively play that role, TT – but more so Tobago – would be able to handle disasters more effectively and mitigate damage.”

Nurse, who excelled in management studies, physical education/sports and environmental science at the CAPE A Level, said he applied for the scholarship because it would help ease the financial burden on his mother. The scholarship takes into consideration several factors other than academic qualifications.

“It would assist my family greatly, because I am solely being funded by my mother, and it is putting a strain on her, as I am not an only child. I have a little brother, who only recently entered secondary school. The scholarship will definitely go a long way in assisting,” he said.

Also speaking with Newsday Tobago, the alumni association’s media liaison, Casandra Thompson-Forbes, said the scholarship fund began in 2017 out of the alumni’s vision to provide an opportunity for the most deserving student at the school to earn an education, no matter their circumstances.

“Scholarships provide an opportunity for many people to earn an education, whilst understanding that the cost of college living is expensive. The annual scholarship ensures that a deserving student will be recognised and rewarded and this is just one of the ways that we as an association are assisting,” she said.

In 2017, Tiffany James won the first $20,000 scholarship. She is studying nursing at UWI, and Thompson-Forbes says she is doing well.